If you like the articles on our companion blog, the Agent Survival Guide, you’ll love the power to take them with you wherever you go. Tune in for marketing tips and strategies for selling Medicare, Long-Term Care, Life, Annuities, and Final Expense. The ASG Podcast also helps you stay compliant with the latest CMS guidelines…

On Friday, CMS released the costs for Original Medicare coverage for 2018. Medicare Part B premiums will rise for many, but not for all. Part B About 70 percent of Medicare Part B enrollees will see an increase from the average $109 premium they paid in 2017. In the coming year, Social Security benefits…

In October, Humana, a Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO and PFFS organization, announced that several of its Medicare Advantage (MA) plans received 4.5 stars on the 5-star rating system from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). While all of the carrier’s MA plans received 3.5 stars or more on CMS’ 5-star rating system,…

On Friday, the Social Security Administration announced that the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2018 will see a 2 percent increase in benefits from 2017, resulting in the largest adjustment since 2012. The increase will affect more than 69 million people, including more than 8 million Supplemental Security Income recipients. They’ll receive roughly $27…

Last Tuesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released their 2016 Medicare Parts C and Part D Program Audit and Enforcement Report. This report summarizes the audit findings on carriers’ Compliance Program Effectiveness (CPE), Part D Formulary and Benefit Administration (FA), Part D Coverage Determinations, Appeals, and Grievances (CDAG), Part C Organization…

Last Tuesday, I gave my annual State of the Senior Market address to 370 agents from across the country. You can watch a recording, but if you’d like a quick summary, read on for some of the highlights!

We’ve done a lot in the last year to strengthen Medicareful’s standing in the online Medicare marketplace, and I truly believe now’s the time to join in! Our consumer-facing product comparison is available for FREE to any agent with a preferred contract through Ritter, and you can contact Linda Kennedy (800-769-1847 ext. 373) for details…

Federal Judge John Bates handed down his decision to block the Aetna-Humana merger Monday. He addressed the $37 billion-dollar merger in a 156-page ruling. “In this case, the government alleged that the merger of Aetna and Humana would be likely to substantially lessen competition in markets for individual Medicare Advantage plans and health insurance…